In a major relief for car owners, the ministry has drafted a notification stating that if specified tests that are conducted by an inspecting officer other than the inspecting officer in the registering authority office are compliant with norms, he can definitely issue the certificate of renewal.

Very soon, car owners can obtain the renewal fitness certificates for their cars from almost anywhere in the country irrespective of the place of registration. This is in lieu of a proposal drafted by the transport ministry which should certainly offer relief to all car owners, particularly those owning heavy vehicles like long haul trucks and the like. Currently, fitness certificates can only be renewed and issued by inspectors belonging to government approved facilities in the state where a particular vehicle has been registered.

According to road transport ministry sources, there has been huge representations from vehicle operators and trucking industry personnel regarding the harassment faced by drivers upon expiry of fitness certificates at a time when their vehicles are present in other states. The certificates can be renewed only upon reaching the original state in which the heavy vehicle is registered in such situations.

As per the ministry’s notification, if specified tests are conducted by any other officer or the inspecting officer in the registering authority office and if they comply with governmental norms, the fitness certificate can be issued without hassles. Inspection reports have to be uploaded by inspectors in the requisite portal and the hard copy of the same has to be sent to the registering authority within a period of 15 days. Drivers can get a copy of this report which can be shown whenever required in order to avoid any possible harassment. Additionally, the presence of fitness certificates at the portal will smoothen out the job for law enforcement agencies with regard to authenticating the copies that drivers possess.